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The Company
In-Order of appearance,
Dancers: Amanda Freebury,
James Hinkins
Soldiers: Dominic Jennings, Colin Anthony, David Goodacre
The Sergeant: Adam O'Brien.
Mitch: Paul Thompson
His Mother: Charlotte Skinner.
His Sister: Lindsey Thomas.
The Officer: Tim Spence.
The General: Andrew Slade.
The President: James Freebury.
The Coup Leader: Andrew Champion.
Natasha: Kerry Thompson.
Helen: Natalie Coulson.
Peter: David Thomas.
The Police Commissioner: Daniel Porter
The Political Adviser: Matthew Sims.
The Secretary: Charlotte Skinner
The TV Announcers: Lindsey Thompson, Catherine Smith.
Father: Tom Freebury.
Natasha's Mother: Theresa Weir.
The Singer: Natalie Coulson.
Musicians: Peter Futcher
On Soundtrack: Tim Marchand,
Matthew Wilkinson,
Richard McPherson
Chorus speakers played by members of the company.
Thanks to Sarah Taylor and Dover Grammar School for Girls, the Combined
Cadet Force for the loan of uniforms and weapons, Mr Richard Davies for
musical advice, Mr Peter Chatfield, Mr Peter Brook.
The production has been generously sponsored by, PFIZER LTD
Technical Team
Stage Manager: Phillip Dawson
Assistant Managers: Clifford Bradford,
Alasdair Wood,
Bryn Middleton
Lighting Designer: Keith Goodwin
Lighting Assistants: Richard Hover,
Chris Davis,
Graham Saunders,
Paul Williams,
Jonathan Clarke.
Set Designs and Posters: Paul Tatlow
Set Design: Lee Mills
Transparencies: Matthew Wilkinson.
Sound Manager/Electronic Music Co-ordinator: James Pitchford
Sound Assistant: Oliver Jevons
Overhead Projector Operators: Danni Dowling,
Andrea Longman
Properties Manager: Andrew Whittaker
Assistant Preps Manager: Claire Moynan
Costume: Ann Petrie,
Jane Tomkinson
Make-up: Paul Thompson,
Scott Wyllie
Choreography: Amanda Freebury
Military Advisor: David Goodacre
Truck Construction: Jim Goldthorpe
Production Administrator/Front of House/Programms: James Watson
Writer and Director: Michael Thomas
There will be a retiring collection after the performance. |
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Directors Notes
A play is rarely only one thing: it may take a certain subject as its
basic working material, or it may attempt to follow a particular narrative
line, but seldom is the texture simple or the narrative line
straightforward. Indeed, when this is the case the drama is likely to be
no more than soap opera. Thu, this play began an an exploration of some
ideas and situations thrown up by recent political events in the old
communist block.
But the plain political narrative proved unfertile and interesting.
particularly to a young theatre group. During the writing other textures
and other narratives intruded into the play. Dance and song became part of
the structure and the story insisted on becoming both more local and
universal, local because the abstract political arguments were pushed into
the background and the relationships between a few simply sketched
characters highlighted; universal because the play grew to be as much
about certain basic human values and experiences, (loyalty, fear, courage,
the confusion of adolescence, masculine and feminine ideas of strength) as
it was about political events which most of us have only ever experienced
vicariously.
I have been privileged to work with such an experienced and dedicated group of
young people, who have responded to the challenge of creating an original and
contemporary play. In all areas they have brought imagination, energy and
commitment, whether actors, dancers, musicians, designers, stage crew,
lighting and sound effects staff etc. It takes many people to create a work
of theatre, and the performers seen by the audience are only a part of the whole
company. Although not directly involved in the writing of the text, members
of the company have contributed to the shape of the material through
improvisation and discussion. The play was not written as a single piece, but
evolved over a period of several months, during which prototype scenes were
read with the cast. That which they approved I was heartened by and kept,
material about which they had doubt, was generally rejected in the end or
rewritten,
In that respect the play can be said to have been written both with and for
the Dover Grammar School Drama Group. |
